Dream on
by sweetstrawberry211
Summary: A potion goes wrong and transports Lily and James into the future. What will happen when they meet Harry?Please RR! I stink at writing summaries.
1. Introduction

**Dream on: Introduction**

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters, and I am not J.K Rowling.

A/N: Well, a change in category. I know more about Harry Potter, so maybe this story will be better than my other one. If you haven't read my other story, go and check it out! NOW! Anyway, read on!

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"Two handfuls of dried newt tails." Lily's voice drifted through the dark.

There was a scattering sound.

"Twelve small pinches of ground unicorn hair.

Silence.

"James! Did you put it in???"

"Yes, yes, relax! And don't suddenly snap like that!" James gabbled.

"Ah...is little Jamesie fwightened of the dark???"

"Shut up. Let's get on with it. My fingers are frozen!"

"It was your idea on the first place! This Power-up Potion or whatever you called it."

"Well, I didn't read the ingredients list properly, and so I didn't realise that I would be spending three months worth of savings buying the stuff we need!"

"Seven and a half purple mahogany woodlice."

James sighed as he picked up the woodlice. He hadn't expected Lily to actually take his proposal to make the potion seriously.  
  
After about an hour of adding ingredients, checking, weighing and rechecking, James was getting irritable.

"Are we done yet?"

"Nearly. Just one more ingredient to go. Fifteen sixteenths of a forty two centimetre bar of Honeydukes original milk chocolate."

A plop.

"Now, get out your wand. Hold my hand."

James grinned at the prospect of holding Lily's hand.

As if reading his mind, Lily said "And don't you go thinking that just because I have started going out with you, that I am madly in love with you. Or that I actually WANT to hold your hand."

"Aww, come on Lily. You know you like me." said James.

"Yes, well, you're likeable enough." Lily said blushing. "_Lucky it's dark_," Thought Lily, "_If he saw me blushing, he'd know that I really do like him_."

"Anyway", said Lily, regaining her composure, "Tap the side of the cauldron three times. Then, Tap my wand three times. If we've done it right, we should hear a gentle bumping sound, a soft breeze, and the ground should tremble slightly. Then, silver light will shine all around us, and it will be done." Lily laughed. "Just don't you go being all disappointed if it doesn't work."

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.

"Good," Lily whispered, "Now we wait."

Nothing could be heard, except Lily and James's shallow breathing.

All of a sudden, there was an enormous boom, like a series of cannons going off. A wild wind whipped up, causing bottles flying around the room, and nearly knocking Lily and James off their feet. The ground began to shake so violently the Lily was thrown of her feet, only to be caught smartly by James. But then floods of bright, rainbow light dazzled their eyes, and James promptly dropped her. After the cannon booms had died, the winds ceased, the ground stopped shaking and the light died, darkness enveloped the stunned pair again.After a long silence, James's voice came floating through the air.

"Shit."

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Well, did you like it? If not, I will delete it. If you do like it, I'll continue. But if you don't send me a review, I'll never know! 


	2. Dare to dream

Chapter One: Dare to dream  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters and I never will. But I do own my plot. Hehehe  
  
A/N: Well, I like creative writing, so I've decided to continue this story whether you like it or not. Hehehe. And, I switch back and forth between James and Lily, and Harry, Ron and Hermione. So please bear with me, and figure out for yourselves which is which. Read on!  
  
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"I just can't do it!" said Ron angrily, as he unsuccessfully tried to make all of his quills write by themselves.  
  
"I'm telling you Ron, it takes patience," Hermione said with an annoyingly placid air, "And it also takes skill."  
  
"Are you telling me that I have no skill in Charms?"  
  
"Well frankly, Ron, yes."  
  
"C'mon, Harry, help me out here!"  
  
Harry had been quietly listening to their conversation.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione. And you can't really talk. I got the hang of it before you." Harry grinned.  
  
"For the first time ever." Hermione scoffed.  
  
"And I can't see the use of this anyway," Ron complained, "I mean, who wants to watch quills run back and forth over a page?"  
  
"Maybe, Ron," Hermione said tartly, "Professor Flitwick is trying to save you some time when you're writing essays. Now, you can learn the charm, or Harry and I can watch you struggle when we finish our essays several hours before you."  
  
"Humph...okay then," Ron said sulkily, "I'll learn the blasted charm."  
  
As Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way down to the Hall for lunch, they approached a pretty seventh year girl with long, brown hair.  
  
"Ooh, look Harry, it's Rachel!" Ron prodded Harry forward.  
  
"Ron! It's no wonder you never get past stage one with a girl. Your attitude clearly says 'I'm-a- desperate- seventeen- year- old- boy- who- really- wants- a- girlfriend,- but -am completely- incapable- of- getting –one- for- myself- because- I- am -so -immature."  
  
"Hey, are you saying that..."  
  
"We'll meet you in the Hall, Harry." Hermione interrupted.  
  
"Yeah, thanks." Harry said gratefully. Ron was his best friend, but since he didn't have a girlfriend, he could be a bit un subtle when it came to girls.  
  
"Hey, Harry!" Rachel greeted him. She turned to her friends and muttered, "I'll meet you down in the Hall, okay?"  
  
All of the group departed, except one redhead who Harry knew as Melanie.  
  
"Oh, yeah...in a moment." Rachel said to Melanie.  
  
"So, how've you been? I haven't talked to you in ages!" Harry said, glad to be speaking to her again.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I've been really busy. Loads of homework, you know."  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean."  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
"So, umm, the next Hogsmeade weekend is soon. Umm, would you like to umm...go and have a coffee or something then?"  
  
"Ooh, that'd be lovely!" Rachel beamed, "I'll meet you at nine, outside the portrait."  
  
"Okay, great!" Harry said happily.  
  
"Oh, and um, my friend Melanie here..." Melanie, who had been presently silent, suddenly hissed, "Rachel! Not so loud!"  
  
"Sorry, Mel. Anyway," she whispered into Harry's ear, "Melanie would like you to err, speak to your friend Ron. You know....she's a bit shy..."  
  
Harry grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll be thrilled!" he said to Melanie.  
  
Melanie looked relieved, and moved away a bit, to wait for Rachel.  
  
"So, I'll see you on Saturday then?" said Harry.  
  
"Yep! See you then!" Rachel flashed Harry a pretty smile, waved, and continued down the corridor to the Hall.  
  
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"James, shut up!" Lily hissed, "If we keep quiet, we can sneak out into the dark, and get back up to the Gryffindor tower unnoticed."  
  
"Oh, yeah." James said, still stunned.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes.  
  
"Now, since we're near a staircase, as soon as I open the door, we make a dash for it. Okay?"  
  
"Make a dash for what?" James said stupidly.  
  
"The staircase, you idiot." Lily said exasperatedly.  
  
"Oh...right then."  
  
"Ready? Now, I'll check if the coast is clear." Lily opened the door a crack, and-  
  
Brilliant sunshine dazzled their eyes.  
  
"What?" Lily gasped, shocked. "We can't have been in here that long!"  
  
James looked even more stunned. "How long've we been here then?"  
  
"Um," Lily checked her watch, "About three hours. Not that long!"  
  
"Then why is it so sunny?" James asked.  
  
"I don't know! Something's weird..." Lily replied.  
  
"So, what do we suggest we do, Ms. Brainiac?"  
  
Lily glared at him.  
  
"Well, let's get out of here for a start. But we'd better use that invisibility cloak of yours."  
  
"Why?" James asked.  
  
"So that no-one sees us, and asks us awkward questions!"  
  
"Oh, okay. Get under then."  
  
Lily and James crept cautiously out of the room, and into the sunny corridor, filled with students.  
  
"Lily?" James said.  
  
"What?" Lily hissed back.  
  
"Is it just me, or did a whole lot of new students appear overnight?"  
  
Lily observed the people around her.  
  
"Now that you mention it, there are a lot of unfamiliar faces." Lily mused. "The school must be a lot bigger than we thought."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
Lily and James crept up to the Gryffindor common room. They checked that there was no-one around, and threw off the cloak.  
  
The Fat Lady was reading a book.  
  
"Password?" she asked lazily, not looking up.  
  
"Sniggeldywiggeldyfig." James said promptly.  
  
"Incorrect."  
  
"Wha???" James's mouth fell open. "It is too sniggeldywiggeldyfig!"  
  
"I know!" Lily said indignantly.  
  
"Well, you are obviously not Gryffindor students. So please go away." The fat lady drawled.  
  
Lily heard footsteps approaching.  
  
"Quick! Get under the cloak!"  
  
Lily and James dived for the cloak, and made it just in time.  
  
Harry and Ron rounded the corner.  
  
-------  
  
"Isn't it brilliant, Harry!" Ron said eagerly, "I'm meeting her at nine thirty outside the Three Broomsticks!"  
  
"Yeah, Ron, that's really fantastic!" Harry tried to sound enthusiastic.  
  
Harry really was happy for Ron. But after two hours of Ron talking about his date with Melanie, Harry was beginning to find it a bit tiresome.  
  
"Ron, Ron, RON!" Harry finally got through to Ron, who was in his own little dreamworld.  
  
"Oh, yeah, what Harry?"  
  
"Remember, you're seventeen. And there is nothing less attractive than an obviously date deprived guy. So play it quiet and cool, okay? Not excited and childish. QUIET and COOL."  
  
"Okay. Quiet, cool. Quiet, cool." Ron chanted.  
  
------  
  
"Hey, look! Part of my fan club! That weirdo looks just like me!" James whispered.  
  
Lily groaned loudly.  
  
"Hey, shut up!"  
  
Lily clapped her hand over her mouth, and looked mortified, because Ron and Harry here now peering quizzically their way.  
  
-------  
  
"Um, Harry, what was that?" Ron whispered.  
  
"Dunno. Probably just creaking boards or something."  
  
"Yeah, probably."  
  
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Lily could feel the cloak slipping off of her shoulders. She couldn't move, because then they would be caught for sure. So she held it more tightly around her body, and prayed that it wouldn't slip.  
  
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Ron looked at Harry.  
  
Harry looked at Ron.  
  
They both looked at the empty space that was making weird sounds.  
  
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"Oh, great." Lily thought.  
  
Oh crap." James thought.  
  
Lily felt the cloak sliding down her shoulders.  
  
Before she could stop it, it slipped over her shoulders, revealing her face.  
  
-------  
  
Ron looked down the corridor to see if anyone was playing a weird practical joke.  
  
In that instant, Harry saw a head floating in mid-air.  
  
A head with long, flaming red hair, and bright, emerald green eyes.  
  
Harry fell backwards in shock, gasping, and looked over at Ron.  
  
Ron was still staring down the corridor, looking for any trace of a person.  
  
"Ron, Ron! Look here!"  
  
"What is it, mate?" Ron said worriedly.  
  
But as they both looked over at the space, there was nothing there. Not a sound, or a trace of movement.  
  
Ron glanced at Harry in concern, and then said quietly, "There's nothing there, Harry."  
  
"But I saw! I saw a face...a girl's face...I think it was my mother's face."  
  
Ron looked at his feet for a moment, before saying tentatively, "But...Harry...your mum's....dead."  
  
"Yes, I know, but it was her! I know that face!"  
  
Footsteps were coming down the corridor towards them. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall appeared.  
  
"What is all this commotion?" she asked.  
  
When Harry said nothing, Ron spoke up.  
  
"Well...Harry kinda....sorta....saw...."  
  
"Yes, saw what, Weasley?"  
  
"He saw....his mother's head."  
  
"What?" Professor MocGonagall looked unbelievingly at Harry, who was still staring at the space where the head had appeared.  
  
"You say you saw Lily Potter's HEAD over by that wall?"  
  
Harry said quietly, "Yes, Professor."  
  
The professor looked at him strangely for a moment, before saying, her eyes bright, "Do not dare to dream, Mr. Potter."  
  
She turned on her heel and walked away.  
  
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Any good? Too confusing? Too rushed? Send me a review, and tell me what you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. Believe me!

Chapter two: Believe me!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I am not J.K Rowling.  
  
A/N: Do I have to write a disclaimer at the beginning of each chapter??? Some one tell me! I'm not getting many reviews, but I'll keep going anyway, cos I like to write stories.  
  
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"I'm telling you!" Harry said angrily to Ron and Hermione, "I saw my mum's face!"  
  
Hermione sighed a short sigh.  
  
"Harry, we know that it's been hard for you these past years at Hogwarts, with the burden of Voldemort, oh don't be silly, Ron, and your parents."  
  
Ron stopped wincing and nodded instead.  
  
"Yeah, mate, we're here to be your friends."  
  
"And Harry," Hermione started, "Can't you be....well, think about it. You're mum's dead, Harry. What are the chances that her head was floating near the Gryffindor common room?"  
  
"I don't know!" Harry shouted in frustration, "Maybe and invisibility cloak or something...."  
  
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks.  
  
"Umm...Harry?" Ron said timidly, "I don't think dead people can use invisibility cloaks."  
  
Harry stopped thinking in a maniac, one-eyed-about-things way, and began thinking in a logical, Hermione-ish kind of way.  
  
"Yeah," he said heavily, "I guess you're both right."  
  
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"Lily! Lily!"  
  
"What is it, James?" Lily snapped.  
  
When Lily was panicky, she got a bit sharp. And the fact that they could have been caught by McGonagall counted as something to panic about. Lily and James had ran to the dungeons, and were now standing in a dark corner of the Entrance Hall, trying to catch sight of someone they knew.  
  
James looked taken aback for a moment, and then said, "Lily, are we still in the same school?"  
  
"Of course we are, of course we are! Don't be ridiculous!"  
  
"But Lily, I saw..."  
  
"I don't care what you saw! Let's just find one of our friends, even that pathetic Pettigrew will do, and ask them what's going on!  
  
"But Lily! Listen!!!"  
  
"What is it James?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"  
  
"When we passed through the dungeons just now...."  
  
"Yes????"  
  
"Well, I saw Snape, and he was up the front, teaching!"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous! You know as well as I do that Snape is a student, not a teacher!!!"  
  
"But Lily, I swear, I saw him teaching Potions!"  
  
Lily considered this for a minute, and then dismissed it as a figment of James's imagination.  
  
"Lily?" James said, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.  
  
Lily couldn't stand it when he made that face at her. She couldn't stay in a bad mood.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm hungry."  
  
Lily groaned.  
  
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"Hermione!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ron whined after Transfiguration, "Please????"  
  
"No, Ron! You are in Seventh year! You should be capable of talking to a girl by yourself."  
  
The Hogsmeade weekend was soon, and Ron wanted to talk to Melanie.  
  
Come to think of it, Harry needed to talk to Rachel as well.  
  
"Tell you what, Ron. I'll introduce you to Melanie personally, and you two can talk. I kinda need to speak to Rachel too. And those two always go around together."  
  
Ron looked relieved.  
  
"Okay. It's just that I don't know what to expect. Some girls, like this one," Ron gestured at Hermione, "Are capable of biting your head off."  
  
Hermione gave him a withering look.  
  
"Where as," Ron continued, ignoring Hermione, "Melanie might be really nice."  
  
"Ron, please stop talking as if you know anything and everything about girls. Because you don't know the first thing.  
  
Ron had been incredibly excited when the news reached him that Melanie wanted a date. But now, when he actually had to confront her, he was a bit nervous.  
  
"I do so!!!"  
  
"Okay. We'll help you." Harry said.  
  
"Alright, Ron. When you meet Melanie, what will you do, and say?"  
  
"Umm...I'll say... 'Hi! My name is Ron. I am a Hogwarts student. I haven't seen you around. Isn't the weather nice today?'"  
  
Hermione and Harry glanced at each other, and burst out laughing.  
  
"What? What did I do wrong?"  
  
"Ron, for one, do not point out the obvious. 'I AM A HOGWARTS STUDENT!' or 'HI! MY NAME IS RON!!"  
  
Harry laughed again.  
  
"What you do is you walk up, and you go 'Hi. Are you Melanie? Nice to meet you.' And you hold out your hand for them to shake it. It's not formal, but it cracks the ice. And smile!!!"  
  
"Shake hand, smile, nice to meet you." Ron muttered.  
  
"Okay, you're all set. Let's go."  
  
"Harry grabbed the back of Ron's shirt, and dragged him off to find Melanie.  
  
------  
  
"Wow, there certainly are a lot of hot girls around today....you included, of course." James added hurriedly after a murderous look from Lily.  
  
Lily's keen eyes were still scanning the Hall.  
  
"I can't believe it! There is absolutely no-one here that we know!"  
  
"We could ask the teachers. McGonagall or someone. It won't look so suspicious now."  
  
Lily sighed.  
  
"I suppose. There's McGonagall. Let's go."  
  
Pulling off the cloak, they made their way across to the Professor, who was standing by the stairs.  
  
"Err...Professor?"  
  
The Professor stared at Lily and James.  
  
"Professor McGonagall?" Lily said timidly, "Why are there so many new people around today??"  
  
"Ah, um, err........."  
  
Professor McGonagall went chalk white, and fainted.  
  
"What the hell???" James said.  
  
"C'mon, James. We're going to see the Headmaster."  
  
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Eheheheheheheheheehhehehehehe. That was a weird ending, but what will happen when they go to see the headmaster????? Because there is a new head now. Hehehe. I'll make everyone meet up soon. Please keep reviewing! But even if you don't, I'll keep writing cos it's fun. But it would be nice if you still reviewed! 


	4. Strange happenings

Chapter four: Strange happenings  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I own my plot. Hehehehehe.  
  
A/N: Hehehehehehehehehe. This is my fourth chapter. Hehehehehehehehehe. Please review!!! I know I said that I write for fun and not reviews, but that doesn't mean that you don't review!!!! It's nice to get reviews, so PLEASE read my story and tell me what you think!  
  
And also, you should REALLY consider reading glitterysnowflake's story, True Love is Blind. It's really good! And if you want another fantastic story, check out crystaldreams611's stories, The inseperable couple, and How to deal. They're really good stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hehehe.  
  
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"You heard what I said James, we're going to see the Headmaster."  
  
"What??? We're going to see Professor Dumbledore???? Just because a whole bunch of new students have just sprung up out of the ground????"  
  
"Yes. Something is very wrong."  
  
"And we're just going to leave Professor McGonagall here where the owls can poop on her, and the students can step on her?"  
  
"Of course not! Another teacher will come. And anyway, even if they don't, we can tell the Headmaster about her, and he'll send someone out to help her. But maybe she'll come around soon anyway."  
  
"Okay. Let's go." James hadn't been taking in a word, because of the fact that a very attractive blonde had just walked across their path.  
  
"James!" Lily snapped. Although she didn't admit to liking James as much as she did, she still got jealous when he checked out other girls.  
  
"Yes Lily darling dearest love of my life???" James teased.  
  
Lily grinned, in spite of herself.  
  
"Don't be stupid."  
  
"Yes Lily darling dearest love of my life."  
  
"Whatever. Now, can we MOVE?"  
  
"Yes Lily darling dearest..."  
  
Lily pushed him up the staircase, and they made their way up to Dumbledore's office.  
  
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"Now, do you remember what to do???" Harry was taking Ron off to meet Melanie for the first time.  
  
"Yes. I do not point out the obvious, and I make interesting, cool conversation. I do not talk about the weather, and I do not introduce myself as Ronald Weasley."  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
"Yep. You've got it."  
  
"Is that them?" Ron went rather green as he spotted a redhead in the sea of brown and blonde.  
  
"Yes. That's them." Harry said happily as he waved to Rachel.  
  
Rachel saw him, grinned back, grabbed Melanie's hand, and began to wind her way over to him.  
  
Rachel knew that they were still out of earshot, so she whispered to Melanie  
  
"You remember everything, don't you?"  
  
"Yes." Melanie looked incredibly shy and nervous.  
  
Rachel saw how worried she looked, and said, "Hey, if you go all shy, how will you make decent conversation? I know you're not shy, and you've got a great personality, and you're interesting. You've got to let that show!"  
  
"I know."  
  
Ron saw Melanie walking up with Rachel, and he went slightly red.  
  
"Ron, you look like Christmas! First you went green, and now you're going red!"  
  
"Shut up. Harry, I can't do this."  
  
"Rachel, I can't do this." Melanie whimpered.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous." Harry and Rachel replied to their friends.  
  
The pairs were now facing each other.  
  
"Harry!" Rachel gave him a hug, and gave him a welcoming peck on the cheek.  
  
"Um, we've got to talk about some stuff, so we'll just leave you two to work things out." Harry said.  
  
"Yeah. Er, when you're finished, can you wander up to the library? We can all finish some homework, so that we can have fun later." Rachel said.  
  
"See you." Harry and Rachel waved, and walked off together, already deep in conversation.  
  
Ron was left alone with Melanie.  
  
Melanie was left alone with Ron.  
  
Ron looked at Melanie.  
  
Melanie looked at Ron.  
  
When Ron noticed Melanie noticing that he was looking at her, he looked away.  
  
When Melanie noticed Ron noticing that she was looking at him, she looked away.  
  
"So...umm..." Ron's ears started to go red.  
  
"Yeah....so...."  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
"I was wondering....will you come to Hogsmeade with me???"  
  
Ron looked at his feet and prayed really, really hard that she would say yes.  
  
"Well," Melanie said slowly, "I thought that it was all worked out already." And she immediately felt bad, because Ron went even redder, and looked a bit let down.  
  
"I guess he must be as nervous as I am." she thought.  
  
"But we haven't worked out where yet. I know Harry must have told you the Three Broomsticks, but everyone goes there." Melanie hoped that this would start some conversation.  
  
"Err, well, I'll go anywhere except Madam Puddifoots. That place is strange."  
  
Melanie laughed. And cracked the ice.  
  
"You know what? I totally agree! Madam Puddifoots is definitely the strangest place around. Even stranger than the Hog's head!"  
  
Ron looked relieved.  
  
"Well, we can talk on the way to the library."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Ron and Melanie walked off, talking and laughing.  
  
----------------  
  
Lily addressed the stone gargoyle.  
  
"It's urgent. We need to speak to the Headmaster."  
  
The gargoyle didn't move.  
  
"Please! It's really important."  
  
The gargoyle didn't move.  
  
"PLEASE!!!! We NEED to speak to Professor Dumbledore."  
  
The gargoyle didn't move.  
  
"MOVE OVER YOU STUPID LUMP OF STONE!!!!!!!!!!!" Lily screamed, kicking the gargoyle, and feeling nothing but extreme pain in her toe.  
  
"What is all the commotion?" Dumbledore arrived serenely in front of them.  
  
"Professor!!!! Why are their so many new students??? It's not time for new students yet! Why did Professor McGonagall faint when she saw us??? Why..."  
  
"Well. This is a nice state of affairs." Dumbledore observed them quietly.  
  
Lily and James looked at him blankly.  
  
"What do you mean 'a nice state of affairs'?" James asked.  
  
Dumbledore looked at them in surprise.  
  
"Well, as two of the most intelligent students at Hogwarts, I thought you would have guessed."  
  
More blank looks.  
  
"I don't suppose," Dumbledore said serenely, "That you happened to read the side effects of this certain Power-Up potion?"  
  
Lily looked at Dumbledore guiltily.  
  
"Professor, how do you know about that?"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked at the pair of them.  
  
"I have my sources. Now, did you read the side effects?"  
  
"Err....umm.......well.............no." James said slowly.  
  
"Well," Dumbledore said calmly, "If you happen to read the small print, it says that if the potion happens to fail, in a very specific way, the results will be a...how shall I say....well....you will be thrown forward in time. Quite amazing. Would you mind telling me where you went wrong?"  
  
"Erm..." Lily mused, "I'm quite sure that we did everything we were meant to...ground unicorn hair....woodlice.....chocolate...." At this point, Lily's brain snapped into 'obvious mode'.  
  
"James?" she said, sugar sweet.  
  
"Yeeees........." James said warily.  
  
"You DID put all of that chocolate in, didn't you? You didn't happen to EAT any of it, did you?"  
  
James looked awkward.  
  
"Well..............................................................." James squirmed guiltily.  
  
"Answer the question." Lily said.  
  
"Well, you know Lily, I was so hungry, and well...............I figured that a little piece of chocolate wouldn't make a difference."  
  
Lily remembered to count to ten. Slowly.  
  
She managed to wait a whole two minutes before she ripped into James.  
  
"YOU STUPID, STUPID IDIOT!!!!!!!! OF COURSE THAT PIECE OF CHOCOLATE WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE RECIPE CLEARLY STATED THE SPECIFIC AMOUNT!!!!!!!!!!! AND NOW WE'RE STUCK IN THE FUTURE!"  
  
James looked at her, and put on a puppy dog face.  
  
"James, that's not going to work. It's not, it's NOT."  
  
James continued to look at her with big, innocent eyes.  
  
"It's not, it's......oh, you know that I can't stay mad at you when you do that." Lily gave in.  
  
Dumbledore had been standing silently throughout all of this.  
  
"Lily and James, I would not recommend that you walk around Hogwarts without an Invisibility Cloak."  
  
"Why?" Lily asked curiously.  
  
"Because," Dumbledore said, "If any of the teachers see you, it would seem extremely strange."  
  
"WHY????" James pressed.  
  
Dumbledore sighed.  
  
"It's a long story. I suggest that you both step up to my office. I will explain."  
  
Lily and James glanced uncertainly at each other before going silently up to Dumbledore's office.  
  
--------------  
  
That's it!!!! Hehehe. Hope you like it!!!! Please read! And review!!! 


	5. Explanations

**Chapter Four: Explanations **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I am not J.K Rowling.

**A/N: **Hello again! Thank you for reading this fanfic! Hope you enjoy it!

Read on! ( I used to put that at the end of each authors note, but I kept forgetting. Hehehe.)

-------------

Lily and James sat in Dumbledore's office, waiting for him to tell them what was going on.

Dumbledore took his time shutting the door, before turning slowly to face them.

"What I am about to tell you," he said calmly, "Will both shock you and seem utterly unbelievable. But I assure you that if you completely listen to what I have to say, it will make perfect sense."

Lily was clearly paying close attention, ready to listen to Dumbledore's explanation of so many strange happenings.

James, however, was busy picking some dirt form underneath his fingernails.

Lily shot him a glance, and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Yes, Mr. Potter," said smiled Dumbledore, "You too."

James looked embarrassed, and then proceeded to look at Dumbledore with frank curiosity.

Dumbledore took a deep breath, trying to find the simplest and clearest way to explain himself.

"I suppose I'd better start at the very beginning.

You two left Hogwarts many years ago, judging by this time. The future. Your future. Pretend that you are onlookers, looking into someone's else's fate..."

Ever so slowly, Lily and James's life story was told to them.

Their marriage.

The birth of their son Harry Potter.

Lord Voldemort.

Harry coming to Hogwarts.

Peter Pettigrew.

The death of Sirius Black.

After the end of the long story, there was a very long silence.

Dumbledore merely watched, and waited to see how Lily and James would take the news.

Finally, James broke the suffocating silence.

"You're mental."

Lily elbowed him again, but she was quite white.

"Ms. Evans," Dumbledore said gently, "I believe that you are the only one who has taken in the significance of this news?"

Lily said faintly, "Yes...I believe I have. This boy, Harry...does he resemble James at all?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"Yes. Yes, he does. But he has your eyes."

Lily's brain came out of shock mode, and her memory snapped back into place.

"We saw him...him and a funny looking red head boy...that was....our son???"

"Yes." Dumbledore replied simply.

James's head whipped up, and he stared at Lily and Dumbledore.

"Whoa, whoa. Back up a bit. We have a son??? And our son is that weirdo who looks just like me???"

Lily, despite her extreme nerves, still managed to give him a withering look.

"James, think about what the Professor just told us. We're alive in the past. Well, where we were before the potion got stuffed up. But in the future, where our future son is, well, we're, well, dead. Lord Voldemort has killed us. And Sirius, well James, Sirius is dead too. Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. And Peter Pettigrew is a Death Eater. And Remus, well Remus is just....Remus, I guess. But life is harder for him now."

James looked at her funnily.

"How is this possible??? And even if this is true, which it can't be, how can you be so calm???" James imitated Lily's voice,

"Oh yeah James, Lord Voldemort is just going to kill us, yeah yeah yeah, and Peter Pettigrew's only joined the Death Eaters, bless his soul, and oh yeah James, we're married, we have a son, you know! And one more thing to make this all better! Your friend, Sirius Black has been murdered! Isn't that fantastic!" James finished off, arms flailing hysterically, his face betraying a mixture of complex emotions.

"James..." Lily tried weakly as James stormed out of Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Just let him go, Ms. Evans. I've informed all of the teachers of the mix up. They will not, well, try not to behave as if anything is different. If you happen to meet Harry, befriend him. But charm yourselves. Change your appearance. Harry has not had an easy life. The sight of his dead parents wandering around Hogwarts hay distress him. As for sleeping quarters, I would not advise the common room. You know the Room of Requirement, I believe?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Crap," Lily thought, "The one time I sneak out of the common room with James and he knows about it..."

But she replied, "Yes, sir. But...a question."

Dumbledore inclined his head.

"Well, you know how you told us that we, umm, are murdered?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"Well, does that mean that it's unstoppable? We can't do anything to stop it happening, can we? We can't be prepared?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"I knew this question would come. And I must burden you with a heavy fact. No, Ms. Evans. You cannot change what is to be, or what was. Fate, unfortunate as it is, cannot be decided again. What happens happens. What doesn't, doesn't. I am sorry."

Lily tried to look brave.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I advise that you make yourself comfortable in the Room of Requirement until I recall how to reverse this side effect."

He ushered her out of his office.

-------------------

James was out of control, going everywhere and nowhere.

"Everything, it's ridiculous. Some stupid trick. Me, a father! And married! I'm not even out of school, dammit!"

At that moment, Harry rounded the corner and bashed into James.

"Oops! Sorry!" Harry began.

Then he looked at the person.

Harry gasped, and said, "Dad??"

James yelled, "NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and huffed off around the corner and out of sight.

Harry shook himself out of shock, and went off to find Ron.

--------

Ron and Melanie had been seeing a lot of each other since they first met, and they really seemed to hit it off. Today had been their first date.

They really enjoyed themselves, and Ron literally bounced off to find Harry and tell him about his date.

It took ages for him to find Harry, because Harry was looking for him as well, and they kept missing each other. (A/N: I have to bring Hermione back. She's kinda disappeared off the face of the earth.)

Finally they found each other, and Ron said ecstatically, "Harry guess what????"

And at the same time Harry said, "Ron, I gotta tell you something."

Ron REALLY wanted to tell Harry about his date, but he saw the look on Harry's face, and said, "Okay. You go first."

Harry said, "Ron, I saw my dad. Outside Dumbledore's office. I swear, it was him."

Ron took a deep breath, and said, "Harry, look. Dumbledore said that this would happen. Hallucinations and stuff. I know it's been hard for you mate, but really, well, it's time to let it go." Ron finished anxiously.

Harry sighed.

"Yeah. I guess you're right," he made himself grin, "So. Sorry, I interrupted you. How was your first date? At the age of seventeen?"

Ron punched him playfully on the arm, and

Soon, Harry was busy laughing and commenting on Ron's date, and is mind was taken off of his weird encounter.

---------------

Lily Evans was furious. She was awaiting the arrival of a certain James Potter in the Room of Requirement.'

As soon as he entered, she shut her eyes and said in a deadly soft voice, "Shut the door."

James did.

"Come and sit down."

James did.

Lily let rip.

"HOW DARE YOU BEHAVE LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF THE HEADMASTER! WE GO TO HIM TO GET HELP, AND YOU BEHAVE LIKE AN OVERGROWN BABY WHO CAN'T ACCEPT FACTS!!! I AM JUST AS SCARED AS YOU, JAMES POTTER, BUT I DO NOT GO OFF MY HEAD AND START ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT! I SAT IN THAT OFFICE, KEEPING MY COOL AND LISTENING TO WHAT WE HAD TO DO, UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED! HOW DARE YOU RUN OFF LIKE THAT! ANYONE COULD HAVE SEEN YOU! ANYONE! NOT ALL OF THE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN INFORMED, JAMES! TO A MERE ONLOOKER, IT SEEMS AS IF TWO PEOPLE HAVE RISEN FROM THE DEAD!"

When James looked shocked at the word dead, Lily explained. Or more like yelled a torrent of information at him.

"YES JAMES!!! HAD YOU BEEN LISTENING, YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD THAT LORD VOLDEMORT HAS MURDERED US! IN OUR FUTURE, LORD VOLDEMORT WILL KILL US. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO IS HAVING A HARD TIME HANDLING THIS INFORMATION? I ACTUALLY LISTENED TO WHAT DUMBLEDORE HAD TO SAY! THIS IS A HUGE MESS THAT WE ARE IN, YOU KNOW! AND DO YOU THINK THAT RUNNING OFF IN A TEMPER HELPS ANYONE???? THINK, JAMES! WE HAVE A FUTURE SON RUNNING AROUND HOGWARTS!!!!!! THINK ABOUT THAT!!!!

AND WHEN LORD VOLDEMORT COMES TO KILL US, WE CANNOT BE PREPARED! DUMBLEDORE TOLD ME THAT! EVEN IF WE KNOW THAT HE IS COMING, WHAT HAPPENED IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN! IN THIS WORLD, JAMES, WE ARE DEAD! WE DON'T EXIST! AND NOTHING WE DO CAN PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING!"

Lily's anger was spent, and she collapsed on the floor sobbing.

James went and put his arms around her comfortingly, and she did not push him away.

"It's just so scary. We know what is going to happen in our future. And it is unstoppable."

James hugged her tighter.

"Well, at least I get to marry you."

Lily laughed through her tears.

"So you heard that bit, huh?"

James grinned.

"Yep!!!! And we still have lots of time to live. Our marauder motto. Live life to the fullest."

"I should have guessed."

James hesitated for a moment, and said, "Lily, I ran into that weirdo future son guy. He called me dad."

Lily said, "Dumbledore said that we can talk to him and stuff, but we have to charm ourselves into disguise."

James nodded.

"Okay. But isn't that a bit risky?"

Lily grinned.

"I never thought I would hear you say that. Aren't Marauder's meant to take risks?"

James nodded.

"Yep. Live life to the fullest."

----------------

Bit of a crappy ending, but anyway.

Send me a review! I was so proud. Today I got thirty reviews for this story.

Thanx people who review my story.

Even though thirty reviews isn't too much, I still feel proud. Hehe.


	6. Time will Tell

**Chapter Six: Time will tell**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. I am not J.K Rowling. Unfortunately. Hee hee hee.

**A/N:** Well, for the people who actually read my story, here is another chapter.

Thanks to people like crystaldreams611 and glitterysnowflake for reviewing regularly. If you are stuck for good stories please check out theirs!

And to other people, PLEASE keep reviewing. You people have no idea how depressing it is to spend so much time typing up eight pages of fanfiction and coming back 2 weeks later, with only one extra review. And as fun as creative writing is, it's always nice to have a bit of support... but I guess I'm proud to have forty reviews. Hehehe. And my apologies to lilchocolatechip011. I'm HAVE to change their appearances. Otherwise poor confused Harry will go psycho. Sorry! Have a hug. HUG

Ron bounced into the dungeons for the first lesson of the day.

Ron bounced into his seat.

Ron bounced in his seat while taking notes on 'hyperactive potions'.

Hermione and Harry stared.

Snape came over to Ron's table, which he shared with Harry and Hermione, and said softly to the bouncing Ron, "What is the matter, Mr. Weasley?"

Ron said nothing. He was too busy humming "Oh Happy Days" to himself.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for failing to regard a teacher," Snape snarled, "And fifteen for disrupting the class. Oh, and another twenty off because Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger have not attempted to stop your ridiculous behaviour."

Snape walked away, sat at his desk again.

Harry glared.

"What was that for????? I was in a state of shock. Since when does Ron come bouncing down to the dungeons to have double Potions with the Slytherins?????"

Hermione whispered in his ear, "Since he kissed Melanie, I guess."

Harry stifled a shout of disbelief.

"How can you tell?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"For one, when he came bouncing into the dungeons as if he'd just won a million galleons, I knew something was up. Then, I realised that he reeked of Melanie's expensive perfume. So he'd been with her.

And then I saw that he had failed to wipe off all of the lipstick marks on his lips.

So her lips had been on his.

And when two people's lips touch, that is called a kiss, Harry." Hermione finished with a superior tone to her voice.

"Yes, I know what a kiss is, I'm not retarded. But I just don't get how you can be so observant."

"Girls are just so much more intelligent than boys, they notice more." Hermione sniffed.

"Potter! Weasley! Granger! Back to work!" Snape spat.

Ron's bouncy mood was squashed quickly as the rest of the double lesson stretched out in front of him.

* * *

"Okay. What kind of hair do you want?" Lily asked.

Lily and James were seated in the Room of Requirement, and Lily was busy trying to change James's appearance, so that they could go out in public, and not be noticed.

James looked sulky.

"I don't wanna change myself. I like how I look now!"

Lily sighed.

"Okay. If you're not going to be co operative, I'll just change you myself. Stay still." Lily aimed her wand at James's head.

"NO! I'm not going to sit still while you jab a wand at my head!"

Lily sighed again.

"Have it your own way then."

Lily waved her wand, and an invisible force held James's body still.

"HEY! This is too weird! Let go!" James tried to twist in his seat, but his limbs were not his to control.

Lily grinned.

"Okay. Ready? Well, it you're not, I don't care."

She gave her wand a complicated little wave, and James's hair turned light brown.

With another flick, his eyes mellowed to a light tone of brown.

And with a final flick, James shrank a little, which didn't really matter, because he was originally tall for his age.

Lily put down her wand to look at the new James.

"Not bad."

"Whaddaya mean not bad!" James hollered, "I look like a bloody idiot!"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to be quiet while I fix myself up?" she asked.

"NO I AM NOT!" James yelled.

"Very well." Lily picked up her wand, and sent a silencing charm in James's direction.

He appeared to be ranting and raving, but no sound came out of his mouth.

"Ah. That's an improvement!" Lily smiled at the furious yet silent James.

She left James tied to the chair while she changed her own appearance.

First, she changed her hair colour to blonde.

Then, she made her eyes a bright blue, instead of a startling emerald colour.

Next, she made herself grow a little. Not too much, just enough to ensure that she would be taller than James.

She wished she had a mirror, and one appeared in front of her.

Lily looked into the mirror, and a pretty blonde girl gazed back.

She twirled away to the mirror, and went to sit on James's lap.

James stared at the new Lily.

Lily flicked her wand, and both the silencing charm and the body freezing charm were removed.

"Well, what do you think???" she asked James.

"Not bad." James grumbled.

"Don't I even get a 'good' or a 'fantastic'?" Lily pretended to pout.

"Oh alright. You look very nice. But can't you make me just a little bit better looking?" James whined.

Lily grinned at him.

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Please????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"

"Nope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Ah, stuff you." James said, "Let's go out, shall we?"

He offered his arm to Lily, who giggled.

"Okay then. But remember, we can only go out at meal times, and when other students are out of class. No wandering about the corridors during class time. And..."

"Yeah, yeah." James yawned, "Cut the crap. Let's go out and find our weirdo future son guy!"

Lily and James walked out of the Room of Requirement, and were soon lost in the other students.

* * *

"That," Ron said, "Was the shittiest Potions lesson ever."

Hermione looked disapprovingly at him, and replied, "Maybe that's only because you were too busy being a human bouncy ball to listen to what Snape asked you to do. That's why he deducted those thirty points just now."

"Aw, Hermione! You can't be glad that Gryffindor lost points, can you?" said Harry.

"Well, I'm not glad that Gryffindor lost points. But Ron, you really should have been listening, not thinking about kissing Melanie!"

At these words, Ron's ears started to glow red.

"Ah, um, I, er, how, um..." Ron stuttered.

Hermione and Harry laughed, watching him become more and more embarrassed.

"Don't worry Ron." Harry patted his arm, "I think that it's really sweet! Getting your first kiss at the age of seventeen!"

Ron pretended to cuff Harry around the head, before heading down to get lunch.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were busy laughing and talking, and didn't notice a couple walking down the corridor.

Harry was walking in front, so he smashed into the guy.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry!" Harry gasped.

The boy and the girl looked at him.

James said, "Oh my god! It's the weirdo so..."

"Shut up." Lily said.

To Harry, she said, "Hi! Sorry about that. Ja....son is such an idiot."

"Yeah, I am." James admitted.

Ron laughed.

James grinned at him.

"What's your name then?"

"Err...Ron. Ron Weasley."

"Hi. I'm.....Jason?"

James looked at Lily questioningly, who nodded.

"And who are you?" James asked Harry.

"Harry. Harry Potter."

"Ah. And who's your friend?" Lily asked, indicating Hermione.

"I'm Hermione." said Hermione, speaking up.

'Well, I'm...Linda. Nice to meet you. Do you mind if we join you for lunch?"

"Yay! Food!" James said happily.

Hermione said, "Shouldn't you be sitting at your house table?"

"Crap!" Lily thought, "I'm going a bit too fast for my liking here."

She thought fast.

"We're visiting students. Dumbledore let us come and stay here for a while."

Hermione's brow furrowed.

"I'll bet that Dumbledore doesn't do that very often?"

"No, he doesn't. But we're the exception." Lily said, feeling slightly flustered.

Hermione shrugged.

"Okay then. Just so long as Dumbledore approves."

Lily nodded appreciatively.

"Yes, of course. Shall we go?"

"Yes! I'm starving." Harry and Ron and James said in unison.

Hermione and Lily rolled their eyes, muttered 'boys!' under their breath, and led the way down to the Hall for lunch.

Dumbledore watched the group walk down the stairs, and felt sad. ::::

"I will have to tell Harry some time," he thought, "But there can be a little time allowed until then."

Dumbledore walked slowly back up to his office, and consulted the portraits.

"What do you think?" He asked them quietly.

Several portraits muttered glumly.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Well, it's good that they're friends, but Harry will have to know sometime. What do you think, Phineas?"

Phineas Nigellus drawled, "Why tell him at all? If the boy is friends with them, what's the problem? Just let him go, I say, but then when Potter and Evans return to the past, let him suffer."

The other portraits glared at Phineas.

Dilys Derwent snarled, "Oh yes. And you would know ALL about suffering, wouldn't you, Phineas? You with your easy and lazy life."

No, no Dumbledore. Let Harry befriend them, do, but you must let him know. You will have to tell him sooner or later."

All of the portraits nodded in agreement, except Phineas, who scowled.

"Fine then. Reject my advice...."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were planning to take the "exchange students" to Hogsmeade.

Ron looked ecstatic.

"We can go to Honeydukes! I REALLY need some of those sherbet balls, and a few sugar quills, and..."

Ron proceeded to tell them all exactly what he wanted to get at Honeydukes, which turned out to be approximately half the shop.

"Ron?" Hermione said, closing her eyes and leaning towards his ear.

"What, Hermione?"

"SHUT UP!" Hermione yelled right in his ear.

Ron leapt away from her, and hid behind James.

"Bloody hell! What was that for?"

Hermione smiled sweetly.

"What was what for???"

"That friggin busting of my bloody friggin eardrum!"

Hermione smiled sweetly.

"What did I do?"

"YOU FRIGGIN KILLED MY FG EARDRUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall appeared behind him.

Ron turned into a human beetroot.

"Oh....um....Professor! Didn't see you there."

"I gathered that, Mr. Weasley. Twenty points from Gryffindor for shouting such vulgar language in the school corridor for everyone to hear."

She walked away.

Lily, James, Ron and Hermione stood in silence for a second, and then burst out laughing.

Ron looked a bit dazed, but then he snapped out of it.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I need a bit of that nice Honeycomb chocolate stuff, and some fudge, and..."

Hermione sighed irritably.

While Lily and James were putting up a good show of being happy, they also felt a bit sad, because their future son couldn't know who they were.

No-one seemed to notice their under-the-surface mood, except Hermione.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Hermione asked them eventually.

Lily put up her best smile, and said, "Yes, yes, we're fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."

Hermione still looked uncertain, but she replied, "Okay then. Do you want to go and have a rest then?"

Lily considered, and was about to say no, but then she figured that she would have a breakdown if she stayed with her future son much longer, so she said,

"Yes, I think that would be best. And...um...today was fun. Thanks." Lily smiled at everyone and departed.

James gave them all a wave, and followed Lily.

When they were safely back in the Room of Requirement, Lily conjured up a couple of beds, and before she could do anything else, James was in one of them, and snoring.

Lily smiled softly.

"Okay then. Sleep. I have a feeling that we'll need all of our energy to keep our acts up."

Lily addressed the sleeping James.

As if in reply, James gave a snort, and said, "NO! Not that kind! I need the really smelly ones. Not the ones with flowers! I want that hat! Thank you! NO! Not the raccoon! Just the pineapples. Thank you!"

Lily grinned at the sleep talking James, and slipped into a pair of pyjamas and crawled under the sheets of her own bed.

She wondered what would happen next.

"I have no idea how we're expected to break Harry the news," she thought to herself, "But I won't worry about that now. Time will tell, I guess. Time will tell."

GO ME!!!! Another lame ending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah well.................

Hope you liked that. It went a bit fast, but I have a plan. An EVIL EVIL plan.... Mwahahahaha......no, actually, it's not evil. It's a GOOD plan. Hehe.

So please send me a review. Tell me what you think.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	7. Discoveries

**Chapter Seven : Discoveries **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters used in my story

**A/N: **Omg, I am so sorry for not updating! But due to certain events, I didn't have time.

But I am updating now! Thank you to all the people who have reviewed my story! It means a lot, to know that people actually read it. I hope this chapter won't be too crappy.

) This will be a kind of nothing chapter, so that I can concoct a decent plot. So enjoy the nothing chapter!

------------------

"HERMIONE GRANGER, GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone in the Gryffindor common room jumped, and stared at Hermione, who had been working on a very long charms essay.

Hermione looked around at the stares, and shrugged. She left her books up on the table, and hurried up to the boys dorm. Harry stayed downstairs, but he needn't feel left out, because the conversation could be heard clearly.

"WHAT IS THIS???????????"

"What is what?"

"MY HAIR IS WHAT!!!!!"

"What about your hair?"

"ITS...ITS....ITS..."

"Well, you said you wanted a little colour put into it."

"YES, BUT NOT PURPLE COLOURING! I WANTED TO MAKE IT A LITTLE LESS CARROT COLOURED! NOW I LOOK LIKE AN EGGPLANT! I AM NOT A VEGETABLE GARDEN!"

"Well, I think it suits you."

"HERMIONE ARE YOU BLIND??? WHY ARE YOU TRYING OT RUIN MY LIFE?"

"I'm not. I think that you're just being a tad unreasonable."

"OH, SO NOW I'M BEING UNREASONABLE? SO WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME NOW? AN UNREASONABLE EGGPLANT?"

"Ron, you are not making any sense now. I guess I just went a little overboard. Anyway, it's harder to do in the dark."

Everyone in the common room heard noisy stumps coming down the stairs.

Everyone in the common room held their breath as the noisy stumps drew closer.

Everyone in the common room looked at Ron Weasley.

Everone in the common room tittered.

Everyone in the common room let out snorts of stifled laughter.

Everyone in the common room dissolved into uncontrolled hysterics.

Harry barely restrained himself, and as a result, looked mildly constipated.

Ron glared at him.

"What?" he asked fiercely.

Harry had to look away when he addressed Ron.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing! It's just...well...you've got a date with Melanie tonight. And neither one of us payed attention to Flitwick when he was explaining about almost-practically-permanent-colouring-charms-unless-the-person-who-cast-the-spell-un-does-it charm in Charms today."

Ron sighed.

"I know. Hermione has been acting very weird lately. I don't know why she dyed my hair for me..."

Harry considered what Ron's options were.

"Well, you could tell Melanie you tried to dye your own hair at the last minute, but you made a mistake in your hurry to go and meet her..."

"Nah, that makes me sound stupid." said Ron.

"You could tell her what Hermione did..."

Hermione passed by and said breezily, "If you do, I will make that almost-permanent charm permanent."

She climbed out of the portrait hole and disappeared.

"I hope someone poisoned her breakfast." Ron muttered darkly.

-------------------

James was having a great time at breakfast.

"Hey Lily, this is so fun! I wink and smile at pretty girls, they smile back. This is the same as in the past Hogwarts! I could hook up with a million girls!"

Lily glared.

"So you have told me, several hundred times now."

"Oh, sorry."

Ten minutes later.

"Hey, Lily, this is so cool! I smile and wink at a pretty girl, and..."

Lily sighed irritably. To her relief, she saw a bushy haired girl walk into the hall.

"Hey, James, there's...there's...Herm-eeone. Let's invite her over here."

"Lily, her name was Her-mi-o-ne."

Lily stared.

"How did you remember?"

James winked knowingly at her.

"Oh, of course. You think she's cute, don't you?"

"Well, she's not that cute, but she is smart and mildly pretty."

"James!" Lily snapped, "You cannot talk about girls like they're a pet. Mildly pretty? It sounds like you're describing your favourite kind of sauce! And hello, I'm Lily Evans, your steady girlfriend! And anyone who you consider smart is obviously too smart for you!"

James gave her a hug.

"Okay, sorry. We can't argue now! We've gotta get married in a few years!"

Lily punched him playfully with one arm, and waved to Hermione with the other.

When Hermione spotted them, and began to walk over, Lily hissed at James, "And you can't like her, anyway. You're technically so much older! And you're also technically dead! It-...Hi Hermione!"

Hermione sat down, flustered.

"Hey guys."

"What's wrong?" asked James. He made to put his arm around her, but was stopped by a killer glare from Lily.

"Ron's mad at me." sniffed Hermione.

"Why?" asked James. He made to put his arm around her again, but was again stopped by one of Lily's magical glares, which seemed to stop expert flirters in their tracks.

"Oh, I don't know. I just dyed his hair purple."

Lily gasped.

"You WHAT?"

"Dyed his hair purple." said Hermione miserably, "I don't know why I did it. He was talking about dying yesterday. He wanted to make his hair look nicer for MELANIE. He would go to the trouble for HER. Yes, he likes her so much, he'd go and...and...kiss the giant squid for her. SHE could get him to do anything!"

Hermione paused to take a breath.

"But would he go to trouble for ME? No. It's just HER that he cared about. It doesn't matter that I've been trying to give off signs for the last six years! Oh no, he wouldn't notice me, not while SHE'S around. So maybe that's why I did it. I want to ruin his chances with her. I want to make him look stupid in front of her. I want to get her stupid, scrawny head and..." Hermione made a violent gesture in the air.

Every head in the hall turned to stare at Hermione.

Lily and James sat there, looking frozen.

"And I thought you were the nice, sensible one." said James, still looking stunned.

Hermione looked shocked with herself.

"Oh my, what did I just say? What did I just say??"

Lily patted her arm.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Well...yes. I guess I do." said Hermione, blushing fiercely, "I mean, Harry had Cho, and now he's happy with Rachel, and I had liked Ron for ages, and then all of a sudden, just as I'm about to make myself tell him, Melanie comes and takes him away!"

Lily looked at her sympathetically.

"I don't know what to do for you. I didn't have a boyfriend until James. And I liked him for ages, too. But I waited until he became a little more...how shall I say politely...less of a total maniac show off. Just wait a while. And it would be a good idea to go and apologise to him about his hair."

"But he hates me!" Hermione wailed, sounding much more like a two year old than the cleverest witch in Hogwarts.

James studied Hermione for a moment, and said quietly, "You know what? Just leave it for a while. Go back, be nice, apologise, and be friends. Something may still happen."

Hermione groaned.

"Okay, I'll go. But if he kills me, it will be all your fault."

Lily and James watched a thoroughly depressed Hermione Granger drag her way out of the Hall.

"You're not planning to ask her out, are you?" asked Lily, eying James beadily.

"No, no...I just have a small hunch about something..."

----------------

Harry met Hermione outside the portrait hole.

"You want to tread carefully around Ron." Harry warned, "He tried to fix his hair, and now it's turned a vomit-coloured green. He nearly bit my head off just now. Anyway, I'm off to meet Rachel in the Hall! I won't be long. Are Linda and Jason there?"

Hermione looked startled for a second.

"Repeat their names."

"Linda and Jason. You know that! They've been here for a while, remember? We went to Hogsmeade, and they're exchange students?"

"Yes, yes, I know..." Hermione's brow furrowed, as if she was trying to remember something.

"No, that's completely impossible." she muttered.

Harry stared.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'll just go in and err...and....say a prayer for me, okay Harry? We who are about to die salute you."

Harry looked worried.

"Hey, do you want me to wait for you?"

"NO! I mean...no, it's okay. Thanks anyway Harry."

Harry shrugged, and sauntered sown the corridor.

When he was safely out of sight, Hermione climbed through the portrait hole.

Ron wasn't in the common room.

"Ron?" Hermione called out timidly. She wasn't a scared kind of person, but for some reason, the simple task of going and apologising to Ron was turning her into a mass of nerves.

Ron appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"What do you want?" he said coldly.

"I...um...I...just wanted to say....sorry."

Ron glared.

"Really?"

Hemione's heart sank at his coldness towards her, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes. Really. I'm really sorry Ron, and I'll change it back for you."

Hermione took out her wand, and walked closer to Ron. She aimed at his hair, but Ron stepped back sharply.

"How do I know that you're not going to change my hair black or something?"

A tear fell.

"Don't...don't you trust me?"

Ron pretended to think.

"Well, let's see. You sneak into my room while I'm asleep. You change my hair purple, knowing that I had a date today. You make it unchangeable to anyone but yourself. Now, I wonder why I might be feeling a little apprehensive now?" Ron's voice had risen to a yell.

Hermione, her meekness forgotten, yelled back, but the tears fell anyway.

"Look, I said I was sorry, okay? I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!!"

Hermione let out a sob, and collapsed into a chair.

Ron looked very guilty, and sat down in a neighbouring chair.

Hermione stared into the empty fireplace.

"I don't know why I did something that crazy Ron, it's just that...well...I...sort of...well...I...I really really like you."

Hermione turned away from him abruptly, deeply embarrassed.

Ron turned abruptly away from Hermione.

So they were both sitting with their backs facing each other.

Ron turned around, and tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

Hermione hid her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I know you're with Melanie now, but....I....I had to tell you..."

Hermione turned around, pointed her wand at his hair, and a jet of red light shot out, and hit Ron's hair.

It turned immediately back to red.

Hermione conjured a mirror, and Ron looked at his hair.

He breathed a sigh or relief.

"Oh, that's better. Thanks Hermione."

Hermione just barely managed to squeak, "You're welcome."

They both sat there looking at each other. (A/N: Three guesses to guess what's gonna happen now...)

Then, to Hermione's shock, Ron leaned in slightly.

So she matched his moves.

Then, hesitantly, briefly, their lips touched.

Ron didn't even think about Melanie at that moment.

Hermione and Ron just sat there, neither willing to break the kiss.

But neither of them had heard the portrait open, and neither of them had seen the five figures standing behind them, watching.

----------------------------------------------

Well, that was a bit crap. Actually, it was terrible. And rushed. Heh, go me. Bagging out my own work...

And it doesn't take a genius to figure out who one of the five figures might be.

This is such a soapie ending....send me a review and let me know how bad (or possibly good) you thought this chapter was. Like I said before, this is like a nothing chapter, so that is why there wasn't too much Lily and James. Even thought my story is meant to be based around them...ah well...slight detour....just to add a bit of something.

Next chapter, I'll be back on the road, I swear! And I totally stink at writing romance. I don't want it to be to sappy, but I don't want it to be too spiky either. I NEED HELP! I NEED MY EDITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Send me a review please! Thanks! And check out my other fanfiction Whatever!


	8. The Truth Hurts

**Chapter Eight: The truth hurts**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters used in my story.

**A/N: **Okay, okay. So I left hardly any time for reviews. But I couldn't wait to start this chapter. Thank you to moirariordan for giving me some good ideas! I will use them, if you don't mind. And I have kind of neglected Rachel. I'll bring her in again now. Well, read!

--------------------------

Melanie stood there, and watched Hermione kissing Ron.

Not crying, not angry, just quietly standing there, watching the love of her life being swept away by someone else.

Rachel tried to drag her away, but Melanie wouldn't budge. She wanted Ron to see her.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, and felt disgusted.

"How could this happen?" he asked himself, "How could Hermione do this? She knows that Ron is with Melanie!"

He looked over at Rachel, and put his arm around her waist.

She held his hand, staring at Ron and Hermione in disblief.

Lily and James stood by as well.

James thought, "Good for him! That's exactly what I would do!"

Lily thought, "I know we said to tell him, but I didn't mean for her to kiss him!"

Harry coughed.

Ron and Hermione broke apart quickly.

"Um..er...hi everyone." said Hermione, looking at something on her shoe.

She spotted Melanie, standing near the back.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," she thought, "Why is she there?"

Ron hadn't seen Melanie though.

He addressed Harry bluntly.

"Harry, I've liked Hermione for ages, but I just never said anything. I like her better than Melanie. I think I'll break up with Melanie tomorrow."

This was too much for Melanie. She couldn't hold in her tears anymore. Her feet wouldn't run.

She collapsed on the floor, crying her heart out.

Ron looked shell shocked.

"Oh, Melanie, I....um....I didn't see you there."

Rachel let go of Harry's hand, broke away from the group, and looked at Ron with utter hatred and disgust. Her usually placid brown eyes were alive with angry fire, her uncertainty gone.

"That," she said coldly, "Is all too obvious."

She gently helped a heart broken Melanie up from the floor.

Rachel led her out of the common room, and paused before closing the portrait.

She turned around and looked Ron squarely in his eyes.

Ron squirmed under her stony gaze.

"You bastard." she said icily, "You know, this is probably for Melanie's good. She is too good for scum like you. It's no wonder you didn't get a girlfriend before this. You have no respect for Melanie, and I have no respect for you."

With those last cutting words, Rachel closed the portrait, and Melanie could be heard crying outside.

Lily and James tried to make themselves look small and stepped out of the way.

Lily led James to a corner, where they muttered and consulted.

There was an awkward silence between the three old friends.

"Harry, look. I don't know what just happened. But-"

Harry refused to look at either of them.

He breathed deeply.

"Can I just say something before either of you start trying to explain what we all just saw?"

Hermione and Ron nodded mutely.

Harry didn't smile. In fact, he felt as disgusted as Rachel. But he made an effort to sound polite and unworried.

First, he addressed Hermione.

"Hermione, I don't know how you could do that. You know Ron is...well...was with Melanie. You're smart. You probably knew that this would ruin his relationship. You probably knew exactly what you were doing. So don't say you didn't mean to."

Harry turned to Ron.

"Have you got any idea how much you've hurt Melanie? Rachel and I were talking to her just yesterday, and she was telling us just how lucky she felt to have such an honest, kind guy. She was so happy with you Ron. You've just thrown her friendship and trust back in her face."

Harry turned abruptly away from them both, and went over to join Lily and James.

The three got up, and stood together, facing Hermione and Ron.

And Hermione was struck by the effect of the three people, standing together.

Linda, with her hand on Harry's shoulder, and Jason, standing next to her.

She forgot about everything that had just happened, and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"No," she breathed, "No, it can't be..."

As Lily and James steered Harry away towards the portrait hole, they both looked back, and Lily's eyes pleaded with Hermione.

She knew that Hermione had figured them out. Her worst nightmares had come true.

And she wasn't sure if she could trust Hermione anymore.

--------------------

Rachel sat down on the floor in front of Melanie. (A/N: Melanie and Rachel are in...Ravenclaw, by the way. Heh, I forgot to mention.)

For a while, they just sat in silence.

"Melanie, just forget him, okay? He's not worthy of your attention."

Melanie managed to smile sadly through her tears.

"Oh, but Rachel, I can't! He was my first boyfriend! I really liked him! I can't let him go that fast."

A strange expression crossed Melanie's face.

"Oh, but Hermione! Does she hate me? Why did she have to do that? If it weren't for that GODDAMN KISS, RON AND I WOULD STILL BE TOGETHER!"

Rachel was frozen with shock. She had never seen Melanie angry.

Melanie was no longer sad. She was furious.

"WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME???" she screamed, and in her frenzy, picked up a potions book, and threw it across the room, where it hit a snow globe that Ron had bought for her on their first date.

She picked up several other books, and dropped them one by one on the broken glass.

Sadness overwhelmed her again, and she began to sob into her hands.

Rachel crossed the room, and put her arms around Melanie. Melanie cried into her shoulder.

"I feel so...betrayed!" she whispered.

Rachel hushed her, and said, "It's alright. You're better off now. Don't let it worry you. Just remember, you were perfect. He was the one with problems. He was stupid enough to let you go. Just don't let him try and win you back, when he realizes what a mistake he's made. You're not trash. You can't just be dropped and picked up again whenever he feels like it. Find someone who really deserves you. Now lets go and get your face cleaned up a little."

Melanie let go of Rachel, and her eyes said it all.

"Thanks, Rachel. You're the best friend I ever had."

---------------------------------------

Hermione and Ron were left alone in the common room again.

There was a very long silence.

Ron took a great breath, and looked at Hermione.

"Look Hermione, I was going to tell you anyway. So you shouldn't feel bad. And...well...I was going to break up with Melanie. Because I really....well....I'd like you to be my girlfriend."

Hermione felt secretly flattered.

"What about Melanie? Won't she be very upset?"

"But it's not like I care." Hermione thought to herself.

"Oh, Rachel will probably hate me more. But I'll manage."

Hermione pretended to consider, before walking over and kissing him again.

"Okay."she whispered in his ear.

Hermione felt extremely happy.

---------------------------

Harry, Lily and James met Melanie and Rachel in the corridor.

Harry pulled Rachel away for a minute, and saw with appreciation that Linda and Jason had stepped up, and Melanie was laughing.

"Look, I'm sorry about Ron, and I'm sorry about Melanie," Harry began, "But I hope that you won't hate me, just because Ron is my friend."

Rachel looked uncertain for a moment, before putting her arms around his neck, and giving him a quick kiss. (A/N: lots of kissing, eh? Hehe.)

"Of course not. But will you be offended if I...err...take the liberty to...well...tell him on a regular basis about what a complete and utter moron I think he is?"

Harry looked uncertain for a minute, but then kissed her back.

"No. In fact, I think that he's a bit of a moron right now too."

Rachel laughed, and led him back to Melanie, Lily and James.

"Hey, are you new friends of Harry? I don't think I've seen you around before! I'm Rachel." Rachel stuck out a friendly hand to Lily and James.

Lily smiled at her, and shook her outstretched hand.

"Hi, I'm Lily."

James shook her hand also, but shook it for a bit too long. Lily elbowed him hard.

James released Rachel's hand, and introduced himself.

"Jason."

Rachel said hello to them both, and introduced them to Melanie, who had been standing quietly.

Lily and James went into sympathetic mode.

"Oh, are you okay?" Lily asked gently.

Melanie took a deep breath, and grinned.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

Lily smiled at her understandingly.

"You know what?" Rachel said.

"What?" everyone else asked.

"I think that this has brought us all closer together. That is the only thing I can give Ron credit for."

Melanie smiled, but she had felt her heart wrench at Ron's name.

"Well," she thought to herself, as the group began to walk down the corridor together, "I just have to get over this step by step. I'll be okay soon."

--------------------------------------

Hermione was in a frenzy in the library.

She had forgotten that she was now Ron's girlfriend.

"Time travel....future....no, there's nothing here!" Hermione threw down the book she was looking through.

She had made an obvious connection between the "exchange students" and some people who were long dead.

"Lily, Linda, Jason, James, how could I be so stupid! But why are they so young! Wait....maybe we're the future...yes, that would be it! They're not our past now, we're their future! They must have some forward from their time! And in the future, they're not here anymore, because....well, I don't fully understand it myself..."

Hermione muttered to herself

She was about to give up on her absurd theory, when she caught sight of an interesting looking book. She pulled it off of the shelf, and flipped through it.

She was about to put it back, when the words 'time travel' caught her eye, In the side effects section.

As Hermione read, her eyes became wide, and her mind battled against what was now reality.

From a seemingly empty portrait, Dumbledore watched the truth coming to light in her eyes.

He sighed, and turned away to address his portraits.

"It seems," he said quietly, "That Miss Granger now knows the truth."

---------------------------------

Well, that's it!

Tell me what you thought of my spur of the moment chapter!  
send me a review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And thanks again to moirariordan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	9. Ready or Not

**Chapter Nine: Ready or not**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters used in this story.

**A/N: **For the people who were actually waiting for an update, sorry! A big huge thank you to people who review my story regularly. And another big thank you to people who have just started to read and review my story. I am honoured. Nearly 100 reviews! WOW!

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Melanie sat at the window seat near her bed, with her legs tucked up under her chin, watching the rain fall. She rested her head on her knees, and sighed. Somehow the gloominess of the room was comforting.

"Nothing seems to go right for me," she thought, "I wonder if Ron was just using me as someone to stall with until he dug up the courage to tell Hermione that he liked her."

Melanie considered this thought, until it occurred to her that she had requested a meeting with Ron first. She had wanted to speak to him since their second year. It had taken her that long to merely ask a friend to speak to him for her. She remembered what it had been like for her before that. She spoke quietly to the darkness, as if it would help relieve some of her pain.

"I just wanted someone to love me for me. I would see couples everywhere, and I would be jealous. I would read books, watch movies, where people found the special ones just for them. I know it was stupid to go by what books said, but I really believed that there was a perfect person for everyone. Now, my perfect person is gone. No-one will want me now. I'll never be loved by anyone again. But…what if Ron didn't really love me at all? I suppose I wasn't doing something right. It's my fault that Ron left me."

Melanie sighed, and watched raindrops race themselves down the windowpane.

"I guess I just wasn't good enough for him."

---------------------------

"Harry, no, it's raining, I forgot an umbrella!" Rachel squealed, as Harry tried to pull her out into the rain to run to Hogsmeade. (A/N: Harry is meant to know short cuts, and a rain repelling charm, but in this story he doesn't. hehe)

Harry rolled his eyes at her and grabbed her hand again.

Rachel tried to protest, but Harry then picked her up and scooted off with her in his arms.

"Harry, you idiot! PUT ME DOWN!" Rachel laughed in his ear.

Harry grinned at her.

"You sure?"

"YES!"

"Okay."

Rachel found herself sitting on the wet and muddy ground.

She looked up at Harry.

"OH MY GOD YOU IDIOT! YOU HAD BETTER START RUNNING!" she shouted at him in mock fury.

Harry pretended to faint, and when he did, Rachel grabbed his arm and tugged him down as well. He blinked at Rachel through the rain.

"Well, this is nice, don't you think?"

Rachel giggled, got to her feet, and dragged Harry off of the ground. She cleaned them both up with a special charm, and they both began to sprint down to Hogsmeade.

"Don't you try and pick me up again!" Rachel warned Harry as they ran.

Of course, Harry picked her up.

"OH MY GOD, HOW DID I GET STUCK WITH A GUY LIKE YOU!?!??"

Their shouts and laughter faded into the rain.

-------------------------

Meanwhile, Lily and James, when not spending time with Harry (which was hardly ever), liked spending time with Melanie instead. They had grown used to the future Hogwarts, and the best thing was, according to James, that they didn't have to take any classes.

They had seen Rachel go off with Harry, but Melanie hadn't been there.

Lily pondered over Melanie's whereabouts.

"Well…she's in Ravenclaw…so if I remember correctly…"

She and James turned a corner, and were faced with the Ravenclaw portrait.

The Ravenclaw portrait guardian changed every week, but this was unknown to Lily and James. (A/N: Yes, in my funny little story, funny little things happen)

This week's guardian happened to be a big fat purple hippopotamus.

James stared.

"What is a big fat purple hippopotamus portrait doing in Hogwarts?"

Lily shook her head in disbelief.

"I don't know what a big fat purple hippopotamus portrait is doing in Hogwarts."

"Do you know the password?"

"Even if I did, do you think that a big fat purple hippopotamus would understand us?"

"Li-Linda, the big fat purple hippopotamus wouldn't be guardian if it didn't understand English."

"Well, since when do big fat purple hippopotamuses understand English?"

"Well, Lilyinda, apparently this big fat purple hippopotamus DOES understand English, so there!"

"I still think that the big fat purple hippopotamus is stupid."

"Okay. DO YOU KNOW THE BLOODY PASSWORD OR NOT????"

"No."

"OKAY THEN! HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET IN???"

"Err.."

"WE'RE GOING TO TELL THE BIG FAT PURPLE HIPPOPOTAMUS THE PASSOWRD, THAT'S HOW!!!"

"BUT WE CAN'T TELL THE BIG FAT PURPLE HIPPOPOTAMUS THE PASSWORD IF ONE, WE DON'T KNOW IT, AND TWO, IT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH!"

"LIL-NDA, THE BIG FAT PURPLE HIPPOPOTAMUS PROBABLY DOES UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, AND-"

They both fell silent as they both heard a small voice from the other side of the portrait.

"Would you like me to let you in?"

James stared.

"Was that the big fat purple hippopotamus???"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't the portrait, you idiot. That was someone on the other side of the portrait."

"Oh."

Lily said loudly, "Yes, could you let us in please?"

The portrait opened slowly, revealing Melanie.

"Can we come in?" Lily asked quietly.

Melanie nodded silently.

As the portrait door closed behind them, a slow, big, fat, purple, hippopotamussy voice said,

"By the way, I do speak English."

-------------------------------

Dumbledore was very worried.

He paced in his office, and the previous headmasters on the walls were getting dizzy from watching him.

"Lily and James are getting far too comfortable. I don't know when I will have an opportunity to tell Harry. I found the reversal spell long ago. They have been here for months!" (A/N: Even though it doesn't seem like months.)

The portraits muttered.

"I will wait." Dumbledore said. "I will wait just a little longer."

But a voice in his head reminded him that he had done this once before. And what good had come out of that?

----------------------------------

Harry opened the common room door, and he and Rachel thumped in, breathless and pink-cheeked from the cold and rain.

As they came in, Hermione glared at them. Ron was in a chair right next to Hermione, and they would have looked like a cute couple, except for the fact that Ron was tied to his chair with several of Hermione's knitted scarfs.

"Do you mind? Some people are trying to work here! I only have four more days of break to go, and I am not even a quarter of the way through my homework!"

Rachel sniffed at her.

"It's your fault for wanting to look smart, and biting off more than you could chew."

Hermione stood up angrily.

"I don't see how that is any of your business. I don't want you butting into my life."

Rachel gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, look who's talking about butting into other peoples lives! That's a bit rich coming from you."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, and gave Hermione a my-god-if-looks-could-kill-you-would-be-dead-by-now glare.

Hermione glared daggers right back at her, sat down, and buried herself behind a book.

Harry sighed.

"Well, we just came by to get Ron."

Rachel gave him a sharp look that clearly said, "We did?"

Harry nodded tartly.

Ron tried to stand up, and then remembered that he was tied to his chair. He fell flat on his face. Harry went over to help him out of his scarffy prison.

Rachel knew that this was going to get right up Hermione's nose, so she said,

"Oh, yes. Seeing as you were just SO busy, we thought that Ron might want a little break. He is probably bothering you. We'll leave you to work!"

"Ron's not both-"

"Yes, I'll leave you now."

Ron practically sprinted out of the common room, with Harry and Rachel hot on his heels, leaving Hermione seething.

Once outside, Ron sighed heavily.

"Oh, thank you so much. I was going to die."

"Ron Weasley, you shouldn't be speaking like that! You were spending quality time with your _girlfriend_!"

Rachel practically spat the last word at him.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I'm going right back in there!"

Harry and Rachel crossed their arms and raised their eyebrows.

"Actually, I…I've changed my mind. Where are we going?"

-------------------------------

Melanie, have you been here all day?" Lily asked concernedly.

Melanie nodded miserably.

"I just sit here, and watch couples go to Hogsmeade. Harry and Rachel have been the most entertaining so far."

Melanie almost smiled.

"Would you like to come to Hogsmeade with us then?" James asked.

Melanie shook her head.

"Hey, you're still in you're pyjamas! Why don't you go and get dressed, and we'll wait outside the CLOSED door."

Lily emphasised the word closed, looking pointedly at James, who had been making himself comfortable in a chair.

Melanie gave her assent to this proposal, and went to look in her closet.

Once outside, Lily hissed at James, "You can be such a pervert."

-------------------------------------

Harry, Rachel and Ron walked silently. After a while, Ron interrupted the silence.

"Er, where are we going?"

Rachel had been waiting for him to say something.

"What does it matter to you, you rotten, scheming…orange… COW!?!?"

Ron stared.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I'm going right back to the Gryffindor common room!"

Harry and Rachel merely blinked at him.

"Err….actually….I'll just…um…keep tagging along then."

More silence.

This time, Harry interrupted the silence.

"Er, Rachel, where are we heading?"

Rachel looked straight ahead. Harry understood. Ron didn't.

"Where are we going? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where?"

Rachel took deep breaths, which didn't help at all. She turned slowly to Ron, who immediately stopped in his tracks, and braced himself.

"WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP!!!"

"yes ma'am…" Ron squeaked.

Rachel looked maliciously at him.

"Quite the coward, aren't you Ronnikins?"

Ron stopped looking scared and started looking indignant.

"I am not a coward! Fight me!"

Rachel snorted.

"You'd be down on the floor within a minute."

"Oh yeah?" Ron challenged, forgetting how truly cowardly it was to challenge a girl.

Harry looked on calmly. He knew who was going to win.

Rachel took stance. Ron held his hands out in front of him, and squinched up his eyes.

Rachel gave an evil laugh, and there were lightning bolts flashing in the background, with bats. And chocolate fell from the sky.

"HALLOWEEN!" Ron shouted.

"Oh, shut up." Rachel said irritably.

Harry set his watch to stopwatch mode.

"And…GO!"

Ron took a few timid steps forward, and struck out with an un-fisted hand. Rachel blocked his hand easily, and gave him an effortless kick, aimed at his stomach. Although effortless, the kick sent poor scrawny Ron flying.

Harry looked at his watch.

"Twenty three seconds. Not bad."

Ron got to his feet.

"You didn't even try!" he said accusingly.

Rachel gave another evil laugh. More lightning, more bats, and more raining chocolate.

"HALLOWEEN!" shouted Ron.

"Little Ronnikins, I didn't want to kill you! Or did I?" Lightning, bats, chocolate.

"Humph."

---------------------------------

Dumbledore by now had paced around his office so many times that now he was dizzy.

"No, no, I will tell Harry today."

"No, no, I will tell Harry in a few months."

"NO, NO, I WILL TELL HARRY TODAY!!!!!!!!!"

All of the portraits were beginning to wonder if he was a schizophrenic, except for Phineas Nigellus, who was sleeping soundly.

"NO, I WILL TELL HARRY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Dumbledore nearly gave himself a heart attack.

"No, I will wait. I will wait. Everyone is having a wonderful time. I hate to spoil it. I can't. Harry will never see his parents again. I cannot deny him this opportunity! I have seen them! They spend almost all day with each other! They are not apart for more than a mere few hours here and there! I cannot bring myself to destroy everything."

Dilys Derwent said gently, "Dumbledore, we don't want to spoil Harry's happiness either. But think! The longer you wait, the harder it will be for him to accept what is the truth! It will hurt him more, Dumbledore, the longer you hold out. Do the right thing, by you and Harry. Tell him, and it will all work out for the best."

Dumbledore could not ignore the facts any longer. With a heavy heart, he began to plan what had to be done.

--------------------------

Well, that was nice and long! And it took a nice long time to type! So send in a nice long review! My story needs serious help. I NEED MY EDITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe

Hope you liked it! For those who were waiting again, sorry for the wait!!!!!!! And I swear, this story is going SOMEWHERE! I promise! Don't give up on me! SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heheheh


	10. Final Goodbye

**Chapter 10: The Final Goodbye**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters in this story and I never will and they belong to J.K Rowling alone. But the big fat purple hippopotamus and Melanie and the other random things I throw in are my own. D

**A/N: **Oooh, wow. It has been SOOOO long since I updated! Wow… sorry ickle-princess, I didn't think anyone would be waiting on my story! I kind of forgot about it, due to certain events. And since I have some time today… I guess my fanfiction is resurrected. so here it is. Enjoy, peoples.

* * *

"Hey, Harry?" Rachel tapped him gently on the arm.

"Ehhhh…?" Harry was engrossed in a wizard chess game with James.

"Harry?"

"Ehhhhh…..?"

"HARRY!"

Harry finally looked up, a little annoyed that one of James's pawns had just destroyed his queen.

"Yeah?"

"Dumbledore was looking for you just now."

Harry looked a little puzzled, but, Rachel noticed, James looked a little edgy.

"Oh… well…" Harry looked longingly at his unfinished chess game.

"It's okay," James assured him, "We can finish later."

Harry stared. Something about him just then… it didn't seem quite…

"Oh, and Jason. Dumbledore wanted to see you and Linda as well."

James gulped.

"Uh… all three of us?"

"Yes."

"To Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

"All THREE of us?"

"Yes."

"To Dumbledore?"

"YES! OKAY, IF I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU, DUMBLEDORE WANTS TO SEE YOU, HARRY AND LINDA, ALL THREE OF YOU, TOGETHER IN HIS OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! AS IN RIGHT NOW!"

Rachel stared down at James, who had fallen back off of the bench when she had started yelling.

"Okay, okay, we're going. Be good." He warned the chess pieces, who all muttered ominously and waved their weapons at each other.

Rachel shook her head as the two boys went to find Lily.

**Meanwhile...**

"Uh…" Melanie almost whispered.

"WHAT?" Hermione snapped back.

"Uh, I think that…"

"NO, YOU DON'T THINK! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!"

"Okay…"

Hermione was having a fit. She had been put with Melanie for a project in potions

(A/N: yes, I'm finally giving the good old "Slytherin/Gryffindor" potion lessons a rest.).

When Lily and James had heard this, both had been very reluctant to leave Harry's side, but Lily painstakingly had resolved to tag along with them to make sure neither killed the other. Although, the threat of being murdered seemed to rest unfairly on Melanie's shoulders.

"Ah, Hermione?"

Hermione turned, and wiped the scowl off her face.

"Yes, Linda?"

"You're meant to put the unicorn hair in AFTER you add the beetles."

Hermione looked at her in admiration, before it sank in that she had made a mistake. Her face darkened as she turned to Melanie, who instinctively cowered.

"Look, you. Our potion is RUINED thanks to YOU. YOU never try to HELP ME! I bet you KNEW that I had done it wrong! And you didn't SAY ANYTHING!"

Hermione ranted and raged while she cleaned up the ruined potion and started again, and while she was doing so, James and Harry burst into the room. James looked very agitated by this time, and also out of breath.

"DU…DUM..DUMB…"

"Ex-CUSE me!" Lily looked indignant.

"DUMBLEDORE… wants… to see… all three… of us… together… in… his office… right… now."

"Whaa?" Lily looked aghast for just a second, before quickly regaining her composure, "Well then. We'll have to go, won't we?" She cast a nervous glance at Melanie, who gave her a small smile and a look that said "I'll be fine…". Lily smiled back at her, and began to follow Harry and James out of the door.

"Wait."

All three turned to look at the person who had spoken, which turned out to be Hermione.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked her.

Hermione turned around, and said in a patronizing voice, still laced with anger from the messed up potion, "Isn't it OBVIOUS, Harry? Open your eyes! Look! Look at them! Harry, they're-"

Before Hermione could finished, a horror struck Lily whirled Harry and James out of the room, and slammed the door.

Harry looked extremely confused.

"What? What was she talking about?"

Lily and James exchanged a look.

"Oh, nothing. She was just mad because… she messed up a potion… and…" Lily trailed off, hoping this would be enough explanation.

Harry shrugged.

"Whatever. Hermione's been a little edgy lately…"

The three of them turned and ran up to Dumbledore's office.

**Meanwhile...**

Dumbledore was looking pained.

Dilys Derwent consoled him.

"You know, Dumbledore, it really is for the best. Lily and James aren't a part of this world anymore. They have to go back. It'll take a weight off of everyone's minds."

Dumbledore continued to look pained.

Dilys Derwent persisted.

"You know, Harry will be a little shocked to find out that 'Linda and Jason' are his parents. You really should try your hardest to break it to him very gently."

Dumbledore stopped looking pained, and became his normal, pensive self. (A/N: MOOD SWINGS!).

"You're right. You're absolutely right… and-oh! I do believe they're standing outside my door right now. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do!"

Dilys Derwent looked at him reproachfully.

"Why don't you OPEN the door, Dumbledore?"

"Ah. Yes. Right then."

Dumbledore made his way slowly to the door of his office. After taking a deep breath, he opened it, and he felt his eyes begin to water as he saw Harry standing with the two people he had missed for so long, and yet he had no idea.

"Ah, you got my message then? Good. Come in, come in. Take a chair."

Harry gave Lily and James a look that clearly said "and just what the hell is going on here?"

Dumbledore took a breath, and ploughed ahead.

"Harry, I have some news for you. It may take a while to sink in, I understand, but… the problem that has occurred will have to be… fixed as soon as possible. Harry, these two people here… they…"

Harry glanced at Lily and James, who now had tears in their eyes.

"What? What's wrong? What's wrong with everyone?"

Lily sighed.

"We're glad you didn't guess, Harry, but… we're going to have to tell you… now… your friend… Hermione knew. And now you're going to have to find out as well."

With a complex expression on her face, Lily took out her wand. She pointed it at James, and muttered the counter charm. Quickly, she pointed her wand at herself and did the same. Suddenly, standing before Harry, was a beautiful teenage girl, with flowing, vibrant red hair, and sparkling green eyes. The same eyes, Harry noticed, that he saw in the mirror every day. Standing next to the girl, was a handsome boy, with the same build as Harry, with the same messy hair to top it off.

"…" Harry couldn't make head or tail of the situation.

"I… just what are you trying… dressing up like… I mean… no… you're really… no way… but… exchange students… how… I'm confused…"

James grinned at him, but he had an effort keeping the sparkle in his eyes and concealing the sadness in his heart.

"We're your parents, Harry. And yes, all this time we've been here, we've known who you are. How did we get here? We screwed up a potion. Why? We didn't intend to screw up the potion at all. Does that answer your questions?"

Harry started.

"I saw you! I saw you before! I crashed into you a couple of times… and you!" he turned to Lily, "I saw you! Well, I saw your HEAD, but… I saw you! By the common room!"

Lily nodded sadly.

"Yeah… that time… we were trying to get into the common room after messing up the potion… we didn't know we had gone into the future at all! But we couldn't get in, because we were using the password of years and years and years ago, and then who should come down the hall but you, Harry. You and Ron. The invisibility cloak slipped off of my shoulders…"

Harry shook his head.

"But… does that mean… I'm your future, or you're my past?"

Lily took his hand.

"You're our future, Harry. And… I don't know how to tell you…"

James took over, for he recognised the look on Lily's face; the one she wore when she was fighting fiercely against crying.

"We need to go back, Harry. We need to go back to our own time."

"What? No, you… you can't… what about… how will I…"

James couldn't hide his sadness any longer. His whole face seemed to sag.

"I… I don't want… I mean…" Harry worked furiously to try and figure out what he should do. He could, on one hand, throw himself on the floor and say that he didn't want them to leave him because he had missed them so much and he'd miss them even more if they left, and basically be a huge baby. Or, he could be rational and think about what was really necessary and what was reality.

"I…" Harry swallowed hard, and set his jaw, "I'm gonna miss you two… not just as my parents… but my friends as well. Um… I don't know what else I can do now…"

Lily, who had been covering her face with her hands, stood up and threw her arms around Harry.

"Even though sniff we're the same age and everything… I still feel like I could be your mother!" Lily laughed a little. "It was a shock finding you, but in the end, well… since we won't have a chance to tell you just before we die… you're a great kid, Harry, and… well, we love you, okay?"

Lily looked extremely awkward after saying those last words, but her face relaxed as she saw the look in Harry's eyes.

"That's the first time he's ever heard those words from a mother," Lily realized sadly.

James strode over to Harry, and after looking a little awkward, also put his arms around him, before clapping him on the back and shaking his hand in a fatherly manner.

Harry looked up at him for a minute, before saying somewhat admiringly, "You're going to be a great dad… dad."

James cleared his throat.

"You're going to be great too. Not just as a son, but as a person. I mean, look at what you've done!" James finished off in an admiring voice.

The family heard a small cough from behind them. Turning around, they saw Dumbledore picking up his wand.

"No!" Lily gasped, "I thought… we were just going to tell him, right? We're not leaving today, are we? We're going to have more time, aren't we, professor!" Lily said desperately.

Dumbledore smiled a small, sad smile.

"I'm afraid that I have already allowed too much time. It's been very risky keeping two people in the future. You two probably don't realise what the consequences could be if you stayed. I'm sorry."

"Oh…" James couldn't find the words to express what he was thinking. But at the same time, Lily and James turned and put their arms around Harry again.

Tears began to roll down Lily's face. The three stood for what seemed like years and seconds, until too soon, and not soon enough, they broke apart.

James grinned his usual grin.

"Well, you never know… it's happened once, it could happen again. By accident, of course, professor." James added hurriedly as Dumbledore gave him a stern look over the top of his glasses.

"No, Mr. Potter," and both Harry and James looked up, "There will be no more of this midnight potion making on your part. Or yours, Miss Evans." He added as Lily's eyes grew hopeful.

James coughed, and after gaining everyone's attention said, "You know, we should be happy. We met our future son, and he met his parents, who he hasn't seen since he was born. Oh!"

Everyone looked questioningly at James.

"Do those two way mirrors work across time?"

Lily laughed.

"Of course not, silly. Across the school to another detention room is much different than across time. In case you didn't know."

"Oh…" James looked crestfallen.

The mood of the room was considerably lightened by this time, which was of relief to everyone, but especially Dumbledore and James, who really wasn't good with depressing situations.(A/N: and neither am I ;P )

Raising his wand, Dumbledore traced the outline of a door in the air. Giving it a tap, the middle of the door swam and wavered, before opening and revealing a damp, dark room filled with broken glass and shelves.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at Lily and James.

"So… this is what happened to the extra supplies room… oh, and when you walk through the door, don't look back. Somehow that counters your intentions, and you will be stuck here again. And no, don't even think about trying it."

Lily and James looked sheepish, before each turning individually and embracing Harry one last time.

"Goodbye, Harry. We're going to miss you," Lily whispered in his ear, "And we love you, okay? We do now and we always will."

"Don't worry about going back to the muggles anymore, okay?" James said to him, "Now that you've met us, and you know why you have to stay there, have a little fun with them. Gentle, caring fun, of course, professor…"

"Oh and Harry? Give that sister of mine a good kick up the—uh… nothing, professor…"

Harry grinned at them both, and his grin seemed to hold back the sadness in all three people.

James offered Lily his arm.

"Shall we?"

Lily smiled at him, and the pair walked towards the door standing in the middle of the room. Before entering, both turned, with James's hand on Lily's shoulder. Harry drank in the sight of both his parents, before he waved, and with a return of his wave, Lily and James walked through the door, and as they did, the world beyond the door began to fade, Lily and James inside. Harry stood and watched his parents disappear, before the door closed, sealing each in his own time; Sealing and finishing the most remarkable experience ever had by even the famous Harry Potter.

* * *

Wow, that's it! Sorry, the goodbyeing scene was very, very choppy; much sorryness going your way. But, I finished! Thank you to everyone who ever read my story, I hope you enjoyed it! I might write an epilogue or something… I could continue and write a chapter or two about what happens to Hermione and Ron and Melanie and Harry and Rachel… or I could just leave it right there… what do you think? Send me a review and let me know… I'm undecided right now… heheh


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